Mary Stephenson

Mary Stephenson constructs enigmatic painted environments where interiority, emotion, and the subconscious are brought into uneasy focus. Her scenes often feature sparse, surreal spaces populated by symbolic objects—furniture, food, or architectural fragments—rendered with a strange, theatrical intensity. These elements act less as props and more as stand-ins for psychological states, forming stage-like compositions that blur the line between narrative and abstraction. Figures, when present, are often distorted or displaced, amplifying the sense of disorientation and emotional tension. Her process balances precision with a willingness to let images unravel. Paint is applied in translucent layers, often using zinc white to veil and expose forms beneath the surface, creating a sense of temporal layering and ghostly presence. Objects may appear both solid and immaterial, hovering between memory and invention. Stephenson treats painting as a space where internal experience can be externalized—where instability, humor, vulnerability, and estrangement coexist. Through this careful orchestration of space, texture, and mood, her work opens up an emotional atmosphere that feels at once intimate and estranged, inviting viewers into a psychological landscape that resists resolution but lingers in the mind. ...

Founded in 2013 by Nicole Russo, Chapter NY is committed to supporting artists at various phases in their careers, by providing first solo shows and offering a platform for specific investigations within more established practices. By focusing on solo-presentations and working closely with each artist, Chapter NY helps realize tightly envisioned exhibitions that foster artistic exploration and growth. Russo brings over two decades of gallery experience to actualizing Chapter NY's program, drawing on her longstanding relationships to encourage ambitious presentations. The gallery started as a weekend project space before growing into a full-time operation, first representing artists including Mira Dancy, Willa Nasatir and Adam Gordon. In addition to an expanding gallery roster, Chapter NY has also provided a flexible platform for non-represented artists working across a range of media and experience, such as Keltie Ferris, Jesse Stecklow and Anicka Yi. In doing so, Chapter NY maintains its original mission to present experimental projects beyond the scope of traditional exhibitions. The program includes artists working in site-specific installation, sculpture, ceramics, video, drawing, painting, and photography. Represented artists have recently exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art; the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the New Museum, New York; Tate Britain; the Venice Biennale; and Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta; among others. ...